One Way or Another
by Rogue Daffodil
Summary: Neji has been wondering where Hinata sneaks off to in the middle of the day.  When he spies her with Naruto, he vows never to let her slip through his fingers again.  Oneshot.


**Disclaimer:**I do not own Naruto or any of its respective characters. This fanfiction is for entertainment purposes only. (Mostly my amusement.) However, if I DID own Naruto, it would be called "Neji and Hinata: Byakugan Babies Galore!" That has a nice ring to it...

**Author's Note:**This is a NejixHinata pairing. If this makes you uncomfortable, please skip this fic. Also, I haven't written fanfiction in quite a while, so I'll be shaking the rust off periodically. Don't flame me if I misspell some romanized Japanese words, or if you find something else you don't like. Forgive me if I do not adhere perfectly to canon. Also, this fic may be totally cliche. I don't really care. If you do, skip it. Otherwise, enjoy!One last thing. My grammar isn't usually bad, but if you find something out of place, please don't be afraid to tell me– tactfully.

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**One Way or Another**

Hyuuga Neji watched in silent rage as _his_ Hinata-sama stood in the middle of the training ground. Her head was bowed, concealing her face behind a veil of deep indigo. Her delicate hands were mindlessly wrapping around themselves in a desperate attempt to ease her nerves. Even within the tree line he could see that she was blushing. _Blushing_!

Damn that Naruto.

The blonde was in front of her now. Neji couldn't hear the words that passed between them, but he was no fool. His lips parted from the thin, angry line that they'd held for the better part of an hour, allowing the hurt and jealousy to creep onto his stoic features. He watched as Naruto gently grasped Hinata's hands in one of his own. He saw her shiver from the touch, but she did not pull away. Instead, she stepped _closer_ to the Kyuubi vessel. So close in fact that he dared to place a hand on her narrow waist, before resting it gently on her hip.

Naruto smiled awkwardly at the top of Hinata's head. She was still looking down, staring at the hand that held her own.

"...Hinata..." Neji had to strain his ears to catch the sound of her name falling from the other boy's lips. She turned her face away from Naruto, and briefly, Neji worried that she might see him spying from the trees, but her eyes were tightly shut. The look of hope, happiness and– _contentment_ on her flushed face was almost too much for him to bear.

Almost.

Neji was a patient shinobi and had endured far worse than watching _his_ Hinata-sama succumb to that fool crush of hers. He had sustained many injuries during his missions, some of which had been life threatening. So, why was _this_ so much more painful? He didn't care to find out. All he knew at this particular moment was that Naruto was slowly lifting Hinata's chin with his forefinger. Neji saw her raise her head at his beckoning, to lock her pearly eyes in his brilliant azure gaze. And what Neji saw next erased all thought from his mind.

Naruto tilted his head, leaning forward as heat burned through his cheeks. Neither of them closed their eyes as their lips met, tentatively at first, but soon the mild heat on their faces ignited a fire between them.

They were kissing. _They_ were kissing. _She_ was _kissing_ Naruto.

Neji's eyes widened, glossy with unshed tears. Why he should be crying, he knew not, for he felt no sadness. The only emotion pumping through his veins right now was hatred. Hatred of Naruto. Hatred of the way Hinata-sama slid her arms up the Kyuubi vessel's orange-clad chest, to slip them into his hair, fisting the blonde locks tightly, as though he might disappear if she released him. But mostly, Neji hated himself; for his weakness, for wanting Hinata, and for being too late to stop this.

But it _would_ end. One way or another.

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Hyuuga Hinata melted into Naruto's embrace as she poured her love into the simple kiss. Well, at first it was simple, and meek, and delicate. Then, it became something else entirely.

When she wrapped her arms around his neck and grasped his surprisingly soft hair, he responded by slipping his tongue between her lips to probe her clenched teeth. Shocked by his forwardness, she gasped against his mouth and he plunged fully into her. He pressed his solid form against her, strong hands bunched in the back of her bulky jacket. She floated in the depth of his eyes, the rip current of emotion pulling her from the shore of reality. She was caught in the undertow, and she was drowning.

They remained this way, mouths exploring, tasting and savoring, while their eyes opened eachother's souls, exposing layer upon layer of hidden desire, passion and relief. She had dreamed of this, hoped and prayed, and all her prayers had been answered, until that is, she felt the rise of a very familiar chakra.

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Neji didn't know when he'd activated the Byakugan, but he didn't care either. All that mattered was that she stopped _kissing_ him. He watched with his advanced vision as she began to tremble in Naruto's arms. She pushed him away, suddenly self-conscious of their proximity. Naruto was confused and reached out to her again, but she stepped backward and averted her gaze. They stood in this way for what seemed like hours, Naruto pleading for her to explain, probably worried that he had somehow offended her. To Neji's satisfaction, she said nothing, but _did_ venture to look in _his_ direction.

_Finally_. Neji smirked. He would make certain that she looked only in _his_ direction from now on.

Hinata turned her back on Naruto and stood there, in the same position she had been in the beginning, head bowed, hands twisting together. At last, Naruto relented, but not before coming behind her to stroke her silken hair and whisper something in her ear. Hinata smiled, and Neji scowled.

Naruto left her then, walking placidly back toward the village, hands placed leisurely behind his head.

Neji glared at the demon boy with his Byakugan, making certain that the nine-tailed loser had truly left. He then turned his attention back to Hinata, who was now standing with her body facing his location amidst the trees. She stared straight ahead, a sad, empty look on her face. The look pained him, but he did not allow it to douse the flames of his anger.

"Neji-niisan," she whispered even before he emerged from the shadows.

"Hinata-sama," he accused, Byakugan still active. He stalked toward her, his taller form looming ominously above her. He penetrated her eyes with his, taking note of the fear, and the tears welling within them. He would not be deterred, not even by her helpless sobbing. "Tell me what you see in him with those eyes of yours, Hinata-sama."

She didn't speak for a long moment, but when she did, she surprised him.

"I- I see kindness, Neji-nii– "

"Shut up!"

Of all the things she could have said. It wasn't strength or power that drew her to the boastful youth. Those things Neji could understand, for he had them. It wasn't even the fool's famous determination.

"_Kindness_," Neji wrenched the word from his dry throat. _That_ was what separated him from Naruto?

Hinata hid her face behind her indigo locks as the tears finally spilled onto her clenched hands. She looked so weak, so dejected. Was it because of him? Why did she always seem to shrink in his presence? Neji breathed deeply, deactivating his Byakugan, resting his hands firmly on her shoulders.

"Look at me," he whispered, though it was no less a command. She obeyed. "Am I not kind?" He was trying hard. He wanted to understand her, and why she didn't love him. How else would he convince her that he was worthy of her love? Certainly more worthy than that low-born fool.

Her eyes were a dull white, revealing nothing.

He waited.

"Niisa– "

Neji pressed his index finger against her soft, pink lips, a warning in his pale eyes. "Do _not_ call me niisan."

She nodded slowly as he dragged the finger across her mouth, back across her lower lip, then down her chin and throat. He enjoyed the slight tremble of her beneath him, and wondered just what she felt like under that unflattering jacket.

"Naruto," she continued, desperately ignoring his intimate touch. "H- he doesn't hurt me." She looked down again. "He would never hurt me."

Neji's body stiffened. So that was it then, his mistake during the Chuunin Exams. Shame and remorse compelled him to lower his gaze. But, it had stared long before the Chuunin Exams, and no amount of apologizing, in word or deed, would earn her forgiveness. His eyes snapped back to her. He would just have to _stop_ apologizing.

"Hinata-sama." Neji's eyes narrowed. She wouldn't look at him. No matter what he did or said, she would never look at him.

"Hinata-sama?" He resorted to begging. She winced, and his hold on her shoulders tightened, but still she would not _look_ at him. He couldn't take it anymore, this emptiness growing between them, when he wanted so much more. He _wanted_ her. Couldn't she see that?

"Hinata-sama!" He growled once more. When she made no move to answer him, he shoved her against the nearest training post, roughly pressing her arms into the thick wood while holding her wrists above her head. This time, she _did_ look at him, shock and terror draining what little color was left from her face. Now that he had her attention, he didn't know where to begin. He could only watch her lips quiver as he focused on her perfect mouth.

"Neji-nii– "

And then his mouth engulfed hers as he pressed to erase the detestable _niisan_ from her lips. She struggled against him, small hands pushing to no avail. He shoved a knee between her thighs for better leverage, and gripped both of her wrists in one hand while the other fisted her hair, yanking her head to the side to access the milky skin of her throat. Then, he took the zipper of her jacket between his teeth and tugged to partially reveal her fishnet undershirt.

"Hinata..." He breathed onto her neck, watching her swallow several times. He would _make_ her see. He would show her what it meant to want– and to love. When he was done with her, she would not even _remember_ Naruto's blundering kiss.

Hinata gasped and shivered as Neji nudged the collar of her jacket off of her shoulder. The hand that held her hair came down to rip the fabric of her shirt. More smooth skin was exposed to him and he wasted no time before descending onto the exposed flesh.

He wrapped his lips around the junction of her neck and shoulder, rolling his tongue in small circles. He kissed her lightly, then licked and suckled the spot, numbing it before clenching his teeth into the soft flesh. The bite was hard and he growled low as his pale eyes rose to meet hers, shocked and scared. He smiled, even as his teeth remained embedded within her skin. The metallic taste of blood seeped into his mouth. Only then did he release her, further compelled by the tears pouring from her eyes.

She tried to turn away from him, but he found her hair again and forced their lips together. He savored the salt of her tears, and she tasted them also, as well as the blood lingering on his tongue. As Neji probed her mouth, he tried to coax her tongue into his kiss. Still, she resisted, and he was not pleased.

"Hinata-sama," Neji sneered against the cushion of her lips. "That is my mark upon your shoulder. It means that you are mine, and that no one else can have you."

He loved the way she trembled and how her breath caught in her throat at his words. He wanted to hear that panting sound again; and moaning, and screaming, too.

"I will _not_ tolerate that fool Naruto, or anyone else touching you. If I catch you together again, for any reason outside of your duties as Konoha shinobi," he held her gaze, white eyes drawing her in, "I will make certain that you never _see_ him again."

Surprisingly, and to his wild satisfaction, she held his gaze, taking in the seriousness, and _implications_ of his threat. Neji smiled. But, just in case she had any doubt or misgivings, he decided to remind her again.

"You are _mine_, Hinata-sama. One way or another."

**End**


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